Lee Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:39 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:39 PM Hi, please bear with my newness and the basic questions. I've recently been elected to a Youth Basketball Organization's Board and have been introduced to Roberts Rules which govern this board. Although I am new, I am very eager to learn more about RONR and the correct ways of procedure. Again, please bear with my asking basic questions. Structure:The Chair is the President (as defined by our bylaws). The body or assembly would then be the rest of the board members?What would the participants (parents) in the audience be referred to as? Constituants, non-members?If the above is accurate, am I correct in that RONR does not allow for constiuants to participate in Board meetings unless the board (body) agrees to it? Nothing in the bylaws regarding this.The reason I ask is that traditionally the Board held its meetings in public, allowing the audience (parents) to just interject at will. Reading your forum I envision only Board Members as being able to conduct business and that RONR calls for structure when doing so. We have the lastest version (in someone elses hands), but I need clarity asap, please help ! Thanks!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Novosielski Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:48 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:48 PM Structure:The Chair is the President (as defined by our bylaws). The body or assembly would then be the rest of the board members?What would the participants (parents) in the audience be referred to as? Constituants, non-members?Besides a copy of RONR you will need a copy of your organization's bylaws, because that's where you will find the specifics of exactly how your organization is organized.The board is certainly "a" body and also "an" assembly, but it is not necessarily "the" assembly. For instance, it might be that the parents are considered individual "members" of the organization as a whole, and would be members of the general "assembly" of the society. This group can also be called the "Membership" or "entire membership" depending on the context. It is usually considered to be the highest decision-making body of the society.The word "member" varies depending on what kind of meeting you're talking about. Members of the board make up board meetings. Members of the society who are not members of the board are considered "non-members" in the context of a board meeting. Members of the board are usually (but not always) members of the society too, so in a general membership meeting, they would be members like everyone else in the context of that larger meeting.One common way of organizing is to have the general membership elect the board, and delegate powers to them to allow them to run some, most, or all, of the day-to-day business of the society. Also, it is quite common for the membership to be the only body that can amend the bylaws.But each organization is different, and what's important is what your bylaws say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Harrison Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:57 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:57 PM Hi, please bear with my newness and the basic questions. Welcome to the forum.The body or assembly would then be the rest of the board members?If you are talking about the Board then yes.What would the participants (parents) in the audience be referred to as? Constituants, non-members?Anyone who is not a member would be considered a nonmember. If you all want to use different terminology that is fine as long as you all know what that term means (many times folks use some term and then don't have a clue what they mean by that term ).If the above is accurate, am I correct in that RONR does not allow for constiuants to participate in Board meetings unless the board (body) agrees to it? Yes. RONR p. 628 says:Any nonmembers allowed in the hall during a meeting, as guests of the organization, have no rights with reference to the proceedings The reason I ask is that traditionally the Board held its meetings in public, allowing the audience (parents) to just interject at will. That is not proper. A Board member could raise a Point of Order that a nonmember is being disruptive by interrupting the meeting by speaking without permission. The Chair should rule the Point Well Taken and direct the nonmembers to stay silent. If push came to shove and the nonmembers continued being disruptive the Chair could order the disorderly parties ejected from the meeting (RONR p. 628) or the Board could order all nonmembers to leave the meeting.Reading your forum I envision only Board Members as being able to conduct business and that RONR calls for structure when doing so. Yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:57 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 06:57 PM You have it essentially right!The Board is a "deliberative assembly" - albeit a small one, probably. As such, the members have rights (too many to type here) and non-members (all those cranky parents) do not, at meetings of the board. The board can -- usually by majority vote, if necessary -- extend privileges to speak to the audience/parents if it wishes too. Or it can close the meeting and toss all the parents out. However, those parents may all be real members of the "Youth Organization" itself. If it has meetings, such as to elect Board members, all the parent/members have full membership rights at the meetings of the entire organization. Get a copy of your bylaws to check on details.Also get a copy of RONRIB:"Roberts Rules of Order Newly Revised In Brief" (Da Capo Press, Perseus Books Group, 2004). It is a splendid summary of all the rules you will really need in all but the most exceptional situations. And only $7.00! You can read it in an evening.And get copies for all the board members. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eager2Learn Posted January 7, 2011 at 07:20 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 07:20 PM Thank you all very much for the replies and the welcome. Very helpful. I'm having so much trouble logging into my account, I have reply as a guest. To follow on some of the comments:GN: I have read and reread the bylaws thoroughly. No real definition is provided. There is Team membership covering the participants (age elligiblity), and voting membership based on payment. But other than that nothing more than what constitutes the Board.Chris: no one was really disruptive. Just procedurally, I didnt think it was correct. There was no vote, ever, to allow for non member interjection. The parents just interjected at will and nothing was done to curb it. It was "accepted" which doesnt necessarily mean correct, right?JDS: I will certainly get a copy!Again, thank you. Very much appreciated! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hmtcastle Posted January 7, 2011 at 07:24 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 07:24 PM no one was really disruptive. Just procedurally, I didnt think it was correct. There was no vote, ever, to allow for non member interjection. The parents just interjected at will and nothing was done to curb it. It was "accepted" which doesnt necessarily mean correct, right?It doesn't necessarily mean "incorrect" either. As a new board member, you might want to sit through a few meetings before you start quoting chapter and verse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Eager2Learn Posted January 7, 2011 at 07:29 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 07:29 PM Thank you HWM.I have sat in every board meeting, known to me now as being an interjecting non-member (LOL), for the last 2 years. So I'm pretty familiar with what has occurred. There are a few of us new Board members, we just want to make sure we are procedurally correct since our bylaws read that we adhere to Robert's Rules. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Mervosh Posted January 7, 2011 at 08:48 PM Report Share Posted January 7, 2011 at 08:48 PM Thank you HWM.I have sat in every board meeting, known to me now as being an interjecting non-member (LOL), for the last 2 years. So I'm pretty familiar with what has occurred. There are a few of us new Board members, we just want to make sure we are procedurally correct since our bylaws read that we adhere to Robert's Rules.I'm a big fan (and so is RONR) of not tinkering with custom, but properly used, the rules in RONR will get you home for Monday Night Football, versus not using it and getting home for the 11:00 news. It's a shame MNF is done for this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jstackpo Posted January 8, 2011 at 01:41 AM Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 at 01:41 AM RONR will get you home for Monday Night Football, Yeah, but if it's a Steelers game you might was well hang around and shoot a few hoops after the meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Wynn Posted January 8, 2011 at 02:44 AM Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 at 02:44 AM no one was really disruptive. Just procedurally, I didnt think it was correct.I would say, by definition, an interjection from a nonmember during a meeting is disruptive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Wynn Posted January 8, 2011 at 02:48 AM Report Share Posted January 8, 2011 at 02:48 AM I'm a big fan (and so is RONR) of not tinkering with custom...I suppose you mean when the custom does not conflict with a written rule... in which case, no tinkering is necessary, since the custom falls to the ground. Eager2Learn, see RONR(10th ed.), p. 17, l. 4-18; George is already familiar with the citation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.